In the heart of SANWEAR-HARDWIRE lies The Audio Cortex, a powerful control system designed to manage every function of HARDWIRE covering everything from power delivery and digital conversion to signal processing, amplification, microphone processing, and a wide range of user controls. What once required multiple external components now exists as a single, integrated system built directly into the wire.
With our goal to deliver consistent, high-fidelity audio without being constrained by the weakest link in the sound processing chain, the Audio Cortex ensures HARDWIRE is able to deliver on all of that, and more. Regardless of the device it’s connected to.
Why We Integrated Everything
A traditional wired earbud is fully analog, and relies almost entirely on the source device, passing an analog signal through copper and hoping the device’s internal DAC and DSP are good enough to produce a clean, zero-latency experience; however, the lack of power limits the possibility of using high performance precision drivers that can cover a full range of sound; not to mention the fast and precise throws that makes clear audio separation possible.
That old model no longer reflects people’s relationship and behaviors with audio. Devices vary widely in output quality, power delivery, and processing capability, making consistency impossible by default. By moving the entire signal chain inside the Audio Cortex, we maintain peak signal purity from source to driver, delivering sound that meets our rigid standards every time. Wired, in this context, is not about stepping back; but about reclaiming control and pushing the envelope of what’s possible.
Powering the Next Generation of Drivers
HARDWIRE introduces our Planar-Dynamic Driver architecture, a design that delivers greater dynamic range, precise and consistent spatial audio, and better bass control than conventional dynamic drivers ever could. That performance comes with increased power demands. Relying on the internal audio hardware of consumer devices would mean gambling with output consistency and limiting what the planar-dynamic driver is truly capable of.
The Audio Cortex solves this by pairing direct USB-C power access with a tightly regulated, purpose-built energy management system. The integrated amplifier delivers stable, high-current output tuned specifically for our Planar-Dynamic Driver, ensuring the driver performs at its full potential at any volume level. This approach mirrors what audiophiles achieve with external DACs and portable amplifiers, but without added bulk, cost, or complexity; a self-contained system designed to be invisible to the user experience.
Memory, Control, And A Digital-First Approach to Audio
Modern audio is increasingly digital, spatial, and interactive. Movies and TV shows are increasingly being mastered in Dolby Atmos, while games rely on complex binaural and surround processing and positional cues to survive, or win. Communication demands low-latency voice capture and noise control. Media consumption is also increasingly becoming more mobile, spanning multiple devices from phones, tablets, laptops, and handheld gaming devices. Fully analog hardware will struggle to keep up with this level of variety.
The Audio Cortex brings power, memory, and processing directly into HARDWIRE where they remain persistent and platform-agnostic. Firmware updates, preset EQ profiles, and custom tuning data are stored locally, meaning your settings go with you instead of being tied only to certain apps, on certain devices. And the programmable action button allows the user to customize HARDWIRE’s controls however they'd want it.
This level of integration is what allows HARDWIRE to remain consistent across devices and platforms, without relying on additional software layers, or external hardware.
The New Baseline for Wired Audio
The Audio Cortex represents a breakthrough in how wired headphones are designed and experienced. By consolidating control, power, processing, and memory into a single integrated system, we introduce consistency and control back to the user. Performance no longer depends on the weakest device in your entire signal chain. Tuning no longer resets when you switch platforms. Power no longer bottlenecks performance.
SANWEAR-HARDWIRE, with the Audio Cortex at its heart, sets a new baseline for modern wired audio, built for today’s devices and designed to take on what comes next.
Learn how over two decades of audio engineering shaped SANWEAR’s approach to sound.
Explore The New Baseline | Discover Hyper Reality Audio
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